


"Strangers"

by saltyfeathers



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Case Fic, F/M, M/M, POV Outsider, Screenplay/Script Format
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-09 05:34:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15260526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltyfeathers/pseuds/saltyfeathers
Summary: Sam gets more than he bargains for when he and Dean stop for the night at a strange motel.





	"Strangers"

**Author's Note:**

> For those of you familiar with the "traditional" screenplay format, please ignore all the inconsistencies. Coding is hard and ao3 is mean.
> 
> For those of you not familiar with the "traditional" screenplay format, please ignore the previous sentence. 
> 
> Real quick: I wrote this as a "what if" scenario. Essentially, "what if I was transported into tptb's office and asked to pitch canon deancas". So that means a) making it "cw appropriate", b) finding the least painful way to integrate deancas into the show without outright changing its formula so as not to scare anyone off and c) writing outsider pov as a way to (hopefully) ease reluctant viewers into the idea. 
> 
> In terms of "canon", this would theoretically take place in early season 14, when Mary and Jack are still off doing whatever they do when the plot doesn't require them to be around. 
> 
> BIG thanks, all the thanks, to [Mara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/peridium/pseuds/peridium), both for the help with css (this fic would not be uploaded here without her) and reminding me for the millionth time that "god" should be capitalized and commas have to go places whether I think I hear them in said places or not.

TEASER

INT. MIDNITE DELITE MOTEL FRONT OFFICE - LATE

****

Midnite Delite is a typical Winchester haunt, leaning towards the slimier end of the spectrum.

****

A young woman straight from the 80s, LOUISA, lounges behind the desk, feet kicked up and reading a trashy gossip magazine. She loudly cracks her gum in the quiet office.

****

Outside, headlights flash through the window. Louisa looks up with barely a flicker of interest and cracks another bubble.

****

She drops her eyes. Turns another page.

****

Car doors SLAM. Voices approach the office, getting louder. Dean and Sam lumber through the door, not realizing Louisa is there. They're both streaked with dirt and dried blood.

****

DEAN

Sam, I swear to God if I have to hear the phrase "vaping vampires" one more time I'm gonna get straight back in that car and I'm gonna leave your sorry ass in the middle of--

****

Sam notices Louisa, now staring at them with a cocked eyebrow. He elbows Dean. 

****

SAM

Dean.

****

Dean, in the groove of his rant now, isn't paying attention.

****

DEAN

No, listen, big brother is talking. I don't care if they toke through their fangs. And I know you think I'm just jealous but that's total bullsh...

(he notices Louisa)

... oh. Uh... We didn't think anyone would be at the desk this late.

****

LOUISA

(flatly)

Here at the Midnite Delite, customer service is number one,

(cracking another bubble)

24/7.

****

DEAN

(plastering on a smile) 

Well, isn't that conscientious of you.

(beat)

Two queens if you got em, two doubles if you don't. 

****

Louisa, moving painfully slowly, fake types on her keyboard, purposely drawing out the awkward silence.

****

LOUISA

(with one last flourish on the keys)

Room 14. Sixty a night. That comes with the best continental breakfast this side of the local township.

****

DEAN

Goody.

****

Louisa SLIDES A FORM across the desk, dangling the key to 14 from her finger.

****

LOUISA

License plate and credit card number. Name, but only if you want. You two got that look about you. 

****

DEAN

What, like we don't have names?

****

Dean writes something purposely illegible and slides it back to her. Louisa looks at it, unimpressed.

****

LOUISA

Like you couldn't write them even if I asked real nice.

****

DEAN

Well, you didn't, so we don't have to worry about that, do we.

****

Dean and Louisa glare at each other.

****

Sam awkwardly clears his throat.

****

SAM

(to Louisa)

Look, sorry, he's just. Tired. And dirty.

(handing over the money)

He doesn't like being dirty. 

****

Louisa makes a show of counting the money, still dangling 14's key from her finger.

****

JACKIE, an older, friendly suburban type, suddenly appears at the door behind the desk.

****

JACKIE

Louisa!

****

LOUISA 

Hi, Jackie.

****

Jackie grabs the room key from Louisa.

****

JACKIE

(to Sam and Dean)

I'm terribly sorry, gentlemen. Louisa here is a bit of a practical joker.

****

DEAN

She's charming.

****

Louisa snidely cracks her gum at him.

****

Jackie hands over the key and Dean grabs it.

****

Sam waves an awkward, conciliatory wave before trailing after Dean.

****

DEAN

(over his shoulder)

Hey, you guys wouldn't happen to have a Yelp page, would you?

****

Sam rushes Dean out as Louisa and Jackie argue in furious whispers. 

****

INT. MIDNITE DELITE - ROOM 14 - LATE

****

The room is just as slimy as the front office promised. Sam is lying on the bed and channel surfing, though most of them are static anyway. He's texting someone.

****

The shower in the bathroom shuts off and moments later Dean comes out wearing ratty pajamas with a towel wrapped around his head.

****

SAM

(grinning a shit-eating little brother grin)

Really?

****

DEAN

Shut up. You know how much dried blood I had in my hair. I felt like I just got out of warp drive.

(beat)

Is that Mom?

****

Sam tucks his phone away.

****

SAM

Yeah.

****

DEAN

How is she? And the kid?

****

SAM

They're fine. They visited an old friend of Mom's this week and they're holing up in Rufus' cabin like you suggested.

****

Dean looks pained, but tries to hide it.

****

DEAN

Livin' the high life. Hope they like beans and weenies.

****

Sam moves towards the bathroom.

****

SAM

Hey. You look very regal.

****

DEAN

Shut up.

****

SAM

(as the door closes behind him)

Yes, your majesty.

****

INT. MIDNITE DELITE - ROOM 14 - LATE

****

Sam is asleep. The clock reads 12:43. The numbers flicker.

****

A FIERCE WIND blows through the room. It blows hard enough that one of the chairs in the kitchenette is knocked over.

****

Sam JOLTS AWAKE at the sound and sits up.

****

SAM

Holy crap.

****

The drawer of the nightstand beside him is pulled open and the Bible inside is lifted out by an invisible hand. Sam is too distracted by the chaos in front of him to notice.

****

His little brother instincts kick in and he turns to seek out Dean, who's sitting up in his bed as well. And then--

****

CASTIEL sits up beside Dean, shirtless, looking extremely tired and extremely grumpy.

****

Sam's eyes almost bug out of his head.

****

SAM

What the f--

****

The invisible hand whips the Bible at Sam's head and SMACKS HIM ACROSS THE FACE.

****

TITLE CARD

****

ACT ONE

****

INT. MIDNITE DELITE - ROOM 14 - LATE

****

Sam is sitting at the kitchenette table with a cold beer resting where the Bible hit him, fully dressed.

****

Cas is standing opposite Dean. He has since put on one of Dean's shirts, but he's still in his boxer shorts.

****

Dean looks like he's about to blast off, arms crossed.

****

DEAN

What the hell was that.

****

SAM

(pointedly)

Yeah, what was that.

****

Dean looks murderous.

****

CAS

A ghost, I imagine.

****

DEAN

I knew this place was bad news. This is what we get for staying in a dive that misspells the only two words in its name.

****

SAM

Cas, can you sense any ghosts? Or anything out of the ordinary at all?

****

CAS

Considering I currently have limited access to my powers as a result of Heaven operating on the grace of a measly handful of angels... nothing since I've been here.

****

SAM

(sheepishly)

Right. Sorry.

(beat)

And when did you get here exactly--?

****

DEAN

Can we focus. Please.

****

SAM

I'll go back and talk to Louisa. You two, uh. Hold down the fort.

****

EXT. MIDNITE DELITE - MOTEL PARKING LOT - LATE 

****

Sam walks, hands in pocket, across the parking lot. Wheels turning. 

****

He shakes his head in disbelief, laughs to himself. 

****

SAM 

Holy crap. 

****

INT. MIDNITE DELITE MOTEL FRONT OFFICE - LATE

****

Louisa is in the exact same position she was earlier. When Sam enters, she gives him the eye.

****

LOUISA

You clean up alright.

****

SAM

Thanks. Hey, I have a bit of an... odd question.

****

LOUISA

It's one in the morning. I figured you weren't here to borrow a cup of sugar.

****

SAM

Me and my brother-- the guy who was here earlier-- well, see, we're interested in ghosts. And we just had what we think is a bit of a... close encounter.

****

LOUISA

Aliens.

****

SAM

What?

****

She puts down her magazine.

****

LOUISA

To have a close encounter. It's with aliens. You said ghosts.

****

SAM

Right, yeah, whatever. Uh. Experience, then. Haunting.

****

LOUISA

Huh.

****

SAM

I know it's kinda silly, but... Has anyone else who's stayed here ever reported weird things happening? Strange sights or smells?

****

LOUISA

Nah. We run a pretty tight ship here at the Midnite Delite.

****

SAM

What about ghost stories? You guys got any of those?

****

LOUISA

Sorry, pal. No ghosts here.

****

SAM

Okay, no ghosts. How about a WiFi password?

****

Louisa scrawls something down on a slip of paper and slides it across the desk to him.

****

LOUISA

Customer service, number one, 24/7.

****

SAM

Thanks. Hey, is that other woman, uh, Jackie, around? I'd like to ask her opinion as well.

****

LOUISA

What, my word's not good enough?

****

SAM

No, that's not-- you know us close encounters guys. We're always looking for a story.

****

LOUISA

Acceptable save. Jackie's gone home for the night.

****

SAM

One more thing, off the record, I swear-- anyone ever die in this place?

****

Louisa looks vaguely amused at that.

****

LOUISA

Company policy says I can't talk about it, but maybe you should ask Jeeves.

****

SAM

(looking at the Wi-Fi slip)

Oh. Right, okay. Roger that. Thanks.

****

LOUISA

You have a good night now.

****

As Sam leaves, Louisa's facade drops, her expression worried. She picks up the phone at the desk and starts dialing. 

****

INT. MIDNITE DELITE - ROOM 14 - LATE

****

Sam enters the room and Dean and Cas are standing... close. Quite close, in fact.

****

The second Dean realizes Sam is back, he jumps away from Cas like he's been electrocuted.

****

DEAN

(to Cas)

Anyway, like I was saying, I'm definitely taller.

****

Cas looks at Sam, cottoning on.

****

CAS

(flatly)

Yes, of course. My mistake.

****

An awkward silence falls until Sam breaks it by clearing his throat. He waves around the paper.

****

SAM

WiFi... research.

****

DEAN

Research?

****

Sam looks around at the destroyed room.

****

SAM

Uh... the case? Of the thing that just eviscerated our motel room?

****

Clearly, Dean had totally forgotten the case. More important things on his mind.

****

DEAN

Right. The case.

****

CAS

(mocking)

The case.

****

Dean glares at him and starts mumbling under his breath. He grabs his coat and heads towards the door.

****

DEAN

I'm going to get a drink.

****

He opens the door and steps out.

****

DEAN

(over his shoulder)

And put on some damn pants!

****

Sam and Cas both stare down at Cas' bare legs.

****

INT. MIDNITE DELITE - ROOM 18 - LATE

****

GARY (50s), greasy, has fallen into an alcohol-induced sleep watching softcore porn. Empty beer bottles litter the room.

****

His hand is down his pants.

****

The chair at the desk moves, just a little.

****

Gary doesn't.

****

A beer bottle is edged off his nightstand and hits the carpet with a dull THUMP.

****

Gary doesn't move.

****

The bottle rolls towards the wall fast enough that it BREAKS into pieces on impact.

****

Gary snorts and stirs, but doesn't wake.

****

One of the sharper pieces RISES off the ground, like someone is carrying it. It hovers, then floats menacingly towards Gary.

****

INT. MIDNITE DELITE - ROOM 14 - SIMULTANEOUS

****

Sam is typing away on his laptop. Cas broods at the newly upright table in the kitchenette.

****

SAM

Wh--

****

He closes his mouth. Starts typing again.

****

SAM

How--

****

Stops again. Brow furrowed.

****

Cas pays him no mind.

****

SAM

You--

****

A SCREAM echoes from another room. Sam and Cas exchange glances, then are up and out the door.

****

Sam leaves his laptop open on the bed.

****

INSERT - LAPTOP

****

A cheesy paranormal news site. The headline reads:

****

TWO DEAD AT MIDNITE DELITE MOTEL

****

EXT. MIDNITE DELITE - ROOM 18 - LATE

****

Dean, soda in hand, Louisa, Sam, and Cas all arrive in Room 18 at the same time. Sam carries an iron crow bar with him.

****

In front of them, Gary lies in exactly the same position as the last time we saw him, barring his SLASHED THROAT. The sound of the softcore porn floats through the room.

****

Everyone stares, slightly uncomfortable. Dean starts to make his way towards the TV.

****

DEAN

Well, at least he died doing what he loved.

****

He glances at the TV, nods approvingly, and flicks it off.

****

Sam readjusts his grip on his crow bar. He glances at Louisa, who seems more put out than upset.

****

SAM

(to Louisa)

So. Not many people have died here, huh?

****

LOUISA

Okay. One or two, tops.

****

SAM

You should call the cops. They're gonna wanna take a look at this. This is a crime scene.

****

DEAN

Whoa, whoa. Easy now, Good Samaritan. Can I talk to you outside, please?

****

SAM

No. I think Louisa should call the cops. Right now.

****

DEAN

(through gritted teeth)

Dude, what are you doing?

****

Sam digs out his phone.

****

SAM

I can call them if you want.

****

Louisa and Sam face off. Again, Sam re-adjusts his grip on the crow bar.

****

Dean and Cas stare between the two of them. Cas has cottoned on. Dean is still lost.

****

Sam raises his phone. He dials a 9...

****

DEAN

Dude.

****

Cas puts a hand on Dean's arm. Dean stares at him, drops his gaze to where Cas is touching him, and glances around nervously.

****

Cas takes his hand back.

****

Sam dials a 1 and--

****

The door to the room BURSTS open.

****

Sam instinctively SWINGS his crow bar at the intruder.

****

LOUISA

NO!

****

Jackie, in a house coat and curlers, is the intruder, cowering from Sam.

****

JACKIE

WAHH, PLEASE! I'M HUMAN! HUMAN!

****

Louisa lunges for the crow bar to stop Sam, mid-swing, but the moment she touches the iron, she DISINTEGRATES.

****

Sam drops the crow bar to his side. Oops.

****

Dean gets it now.

****

CAS

Now I'm sensing something.

****

ACT TWO

****

INT. MIDNITE DELITE - BACK OFFICE - LATE

****

Sam, Dean, and Cas sit around a rickety table while Jackie serves them coffee. She offers a bottle of whiskey, and Dean grabs it and dunks a generous splash into his mug.

****

Jackie paces around the room, dithering. Her gaze darts around the cramped office.

****

Cas takes notice.

****

CAS

She'll be back soon.

****

JACKIE

Oh, I know. I worry anyway. Ever since...

****

SAM

Ever since when?

****

JACKIE

Ever since I knew her, I suppose. I bought this place with my husband in '89. Got it for a steal.

(ruefully)

We were expecting bedbugs.  

****

SAM

Is your husband...?

****

JACKIE

He died years ago. Leukemia.

****

SAM

I'm sorry.

****

JACKIE

For a while, I thought he would stick around. Like Louisa. Now... I'm glad he didn't. Knowing what they can turn into.

****

DEAN

Wait, you're saying you know who this bad customer is?

****

Caught out, Jackie sighs. 

****

JACKIE

It's not my story to tell. 

****

LOUISA (O.S.)

What's not whosit now? 

****

LOUISA has appeared in the room, kicked back on the sofa. 

****

LOUISA

(to Sam)

Something tells me you guys are a little less John Cusack in 1408 and a little more, oh, I don't know, Sam and Dean Winchester. Thanks for that taste of iron, by the way.

****

SAM

What?

****

DEAN

What?

****

JACKIE

What?

****

Silence.

****

LOUISA

I'm a ghost, dumbasses. I can walk through walls. I looked through your room.

(to Cas)

I don't know you, though. Sorry, I guess?

****

CAS

I'm Castiel.  

****

LOUISA

Are you, like... their cousin or something?

****

Sam snorts.

****

CAS

Not quite. I'm an angel. Barely.

****

LOUISA

Oh. Okay. Sure. 

****

Jackie looks like she's about to faint.

****

DEAN

Can we stop worrying about Cas and start worrying about whatever's killing people in this motel, please?

****

Everyone turns to look at Louisa.

****

Louisa, in turn, notices the bottle of whiskey sitting on the table for the first time. She glares at Jackie. 

****

LOUISA

Jax...

****

JACKIE

It's just leftovers. Apparently I just offered a Winchester a drink. 

****

Dean holds up his mug. Cheers.

****

LOUISA

Well, that's as good a place to start as any, I suppose. Welcome to AA, guys.

****

DEAN

You lost me.

****

LOUISA

AA. Stands for "aren't alive". 

****

DEAN

It also stands for--

****

LOUISA

Yeah, Jackie's an alcoholic. It's not offensive cause she said we could borrow it. I died when I was 21, okay? The name just stuck. We're all idiots when we're 21.  

****

Dean remembers being 21. He gets it.

****

SAM

Okay. So about the actual ghost... That's Patrick, isn't it? 

****

At the mention of his name, Louisa cracks, just a bit.

****

LOUISA

Not sure how much of that article you read, but yeah, it's Pat. We were doing the whole young and dumb lovers against the world thing, ran away from a tiny hometown trying to make it in the big city. You've all seen the movie. 

(beat)

And then we got murdered in a fleabag motel. 

****

Silence.

****

CAS

When was this?

****

LOUISA

1985. 

****

SAM

You've been a ghost for thirty-three years?

****

LOUISA

Sure have. 

****

DEAN

And you're... normal? A little acerbic, sure, but you're normal?  

****

LOUISA

Sure am. 

****

Dean and Sam share a look.

****

SAM

Thirty years... not impossible?

****

DEAN

(to Louisa)

You don't have any urge to, like...

****

LOUISA

Murder people? No more than I did when I was alive. 

****

DEAN

Not even to hide around the corner and shout "boo"?

****

LOUISA

Only on Halloween.

****

CAS

How did you and Patrick end up so different if you've been dead for the same amount of time?

****

Louisa gears up for the origin story. 

****

LOUISA

Pat waited three years for him to come back.

****

DEAN

Him?

****

SAM

The killer. Their killer.

****

Louisa nods.

****

LOUISA

Finally, the idiot did. I guess all those cop shows I spent the mid-2000s watching weren't lying. They really do come back to the scene of the crime. And Pat, well. I didn't stick around for it. But obviously, they had unfinished business.

(beat)

I never saw Pat after that. I felt him around me, so I knew he made it back, but I never saw him again. I don't know what happened. All I know is that changed him. And people have been dying ever since.  

****

DEAN

Wait. You never saw Patrick again after that night?

****

LOUISA

Nope. Like I said, he's around. Even right now, I can feel him. He's here, but he's not here.

****

DEAN

So what happened to the guy who killed you?

****

EXT. MIDNITE DELITE MOTEL - BACKYARD - LATE

****

Sam, Dean, Cas, and Jackie stand behind the motel, where a row of bushes grow. Louisa stands at an open window next to them. They're staring down at the dirt.

****

DEAN

This is him?

****

JACKIE

This is him.

****

CAS

Wait. If Louisa and Patrick died in 1985, their killer died in 1988, and you bought the motel in 1989...

****

SAM

Who buried him?

****

JACKIE

I did.

****

CAS

But--

****

JACKIE

I'm not saying it was pretty. But I am saying it was pretty squishy.

****

DEAN

You're a suburbanite. How the hell did you get mixed up in this?

****

Louisa smiles big.

****

LOUISA

Yeah, Jax. How'd you get mixed up in it?

****

JACKIE

By being a drunk suburbanite with an asshole of a husband who thought flipping a motel would be a good idea.

****

DEAN

(mouthing to Sam)

Leukemia? 

****

Jackie catches it.

****

JACKIE

Assholes get cancer too.

****

DEAN

Fair enough.

****

SAM

So, the killer is here.

(pointing to the ground)

Patrick is. Around. Louisa, have you tried speaking to him? What about a ouija board? A seance?

****

LOUISA

Oh, Sam Winchester. We've tried it all. Ouija board, seance, psychic, witchcraft, white magic, black magic, hex bag, cursed box, Latin chants, ritual sacrifice--

(at Dean's raised eyebrows)

It was a very rare, very fresh steak. We improvised. Smoke machine, binding ritual, leaving flour all over the place like in the first Paranormal Activity movie, talking, yelling, begging, the occasional crying, psychotic meltdown, and about a million different other things. He's like the unbustable ghost.  

(to the room behind her)

Aren't ya, hon?

****

DEAN

Maybe he's just not that into you.

****

Sam gives him a pissy look. 

****

LOUISA

You know what? Maybe you're right. 

****

The light in the room flickers. Louisa smiles faintly. 

****

LOUISA

Or maybe you're not. 

****

INT. MIDNITE DELITE MOTEL - BACK OFFICE - LATER

****

Sam and Jackie pore over Sam's laptop. Jackie has taken her curlers out. 

****

SAM

So you really never found out who their killer was?

****

JACKIE

The Louisa you met today is not the Louisa she's always been, if that makes sense.

****

SAM

No, I get it. Grief changes people. I really, really get it.

****

JACKIE

This motel was essentially abandoned when I bought it. Louisa had been alone for a year with a very dead person torn to shreds in one of these rooms and lost the love of her life in the process. She was... damaged.

(as an afterthought)

And she was dead.

****

SAM

Yeah, been there. 

****

JACKIE

My husband, he was the one who actually suggested we just bury the body when we found it. So we did it, and then I hid his car, just up the road a ways. We were young and dumb and had just made a huge investment. The last thing we wanted was the police showing up and tearing the place apart even more than it already was. 

(beat)

And then he died... and I met Louisa. 

****

SAM

You must treat her well. Most spirits... they don't get that. They're alone, and scared. They lash out. 

****

JACKIE

It hasn't been perfect. But if I've helped her even half as much as she's helped me over the years...

****

Jackie pulls a necklace out from underneath her shirt. It's her sobriety coin.

****

JACKIE

My parents are long gone. I never had any sisters or brothers. She's the only family I've got. 

****

Sam puts a comforting hand on Jackie's shoulder.

****

SAM

We're going to figure it out.  

****

Dean and Cas ENTER. Dean's covered in dirt. Louisa MANIFESTS in the room alongside them, weary. 

****

DEAN

We torched Patrick. Mr. Murder, too, just to be on the safe side, in case that's what Patrick was clinging to. And we did it right. 

****

LOUISA

I told you. We already did it right. In 1989.

****

DEAN

Listen, kid. You may have been a ghost for thirty years, but I've been hunting them for my whole life. I think I know what I'm--

****

Dean gets THROWN across the room. Jackie screams and runs for cover. 

****

CAS

DEAN!

****

Dean lands, groans. Cas starts towards him. 

****

DEAN

(muffled, from the ground)

Cute. But no one likes a sore loser. 

****

LOUISA

That wasn't me. 

****

Cas, as he's bending down to help Dean up, also gets THROWN, in the opposite direction. 

****

DEAN

CAS!

****

Dean scrambles up, trying to get to Cas. He gets SHOVED BACK AGAINST THE WALL. 

****

On the other side of the room, Cas is in the same position. 

****

No one else in the room is affected.

****

DEAN

(stuck to a wall)

Hey, Sam? Wanna move your ass and help out?

****

SAM

He's not manifesting! What do you want me to do?

****

CAS

Louisa, reach out to him. He responded to you earlier.

****

LOUISA

Pat! C'mon, knock it off, you jerk. They're just trying to help. 

****

SQUISH. Dean and Cas both groan. Patrick didn't take kindly to that.

****

DEAN

Little more sincerity, if you don't mind. My internal organs are kind of on the line here. 

****

Dean spits up blood. 

****

Sam dashes to the cupboards and starts searching them. 

****

LOUISA

Patrick, please. They're friends, okay? They're going to help me. They're going to help you. Us. 

****

Dean and Cas breathe a little easier and then--

****

CRACK--

****

Cry out in pain. 

****

LOUISA

PATRICK! 

****

Sam grabs a container of SALT out of the cupboard, uncaps it, and rushes over to Cas, where he--

****

SAM

(gritting his teeth)

God, this better work.

****

DUMPS half the container over top of Cas. 

****

The hold on Cas BREAKS, and he falls to the ground, sputtering.

****

Sam sprints across the room and does the same to Dean.

****

Dean stumbles forward and Sam catches him by the shoulders.

****

SAM

Dean?

****

DEAN

(looking over Sam's shoulder)

Cas? Hey, Cas.

****

Dean pulls out of Sam's grip and kneels by Cas. They're close.

****

DEAN

(to Cas, private)

You okay, man?

****

CAS

Yes. Are you?

****

Dean laughs in relief. They pull each other into a standing position.

****

DEAN

Peachy.

****

SAM

(breaking into the bubble)

Uh, you're welcome.

****

DEAN

(holding his chest)

Tell that to the rib cage Patrick Swayze just turned into pop rocks. 

(to Louisa)

What the hell was that?

****

Louisa is deeply upset, but lashes out instead.

****

LOUISA

In case you forgot, my boyfriend is a rabid ghost who has killed multiple people over the past few decades. 

****

Sam has a LIGHT BULB MOMENT.

****

SAM

Crap. No, he didn't. 

****

LOUISA

What? 

****

SAM

Oh my god, it's so simple. 

****

DEAN

What is?

****

SAM

I know who's been killing people for the past thirty years.

(to Louisa)

And it's not your boyfriend.

****

ACT THREE

****

EXT. MIDNITE DELITE MOTEL - LATE

****

Dean and Sam stand outside the motel. 

****

DEAN

What's with the cliffhanger? Are you gonna share with the class or not? 

****

SAM

I figured you should be the first to know. In private. It's a, um, delicate situation. 

****

DEAN

(flatly)

A delicate situation. 

****

Sam sighs deeply. He purses his lips. This conversation is going to be fun for exactly zero parties involved. 

****

SAM

So are we gonna talk about this or what?

****

DEAN

Yeah. That's kinda what I'm waiting for, dude. Lay it on me. 

****

SAM

Not the case, Dean. 

****

DEAN

(playing dumb)

Okay, if not the case, then what?

****

SAM

C'mon, man. You and Cas.

****

DEAN

"Me and Cas" what?

****

SAM

Dean.

****

DEAN

(mockingly)

Sam.

****

Sam takes a deep breath. 

****

SAM

Sorry, but if my theory is correct, you don't really have a choice at this point. I swear, I would leave it alone otherwise. 

****

Dean laughs. And then he stops laughing very abruptly.

****

DEAN

What?

****

SAM

Dean... I think the ghost is going after couples. 

****

That shuts Dean up. They stare at each other in silence.

****

DEAN

(much more sincerely)

... What?

****

INT. MIDNITE DELITE - BACK OFFICE - LATE

****

Dean stands alone in the farthest corner of the office, sulking. Everyone else gathers around the table. Cas sends him the occasional worried glance.  

****

Louisa has her head in her hands. Jackie has a comforting hand on her back. 

****

LOUISA

I feel like an idiot.

****

JACKIE

It's not your fault.

****

SAM

It's really not. 

****

LOUISA

How many people have made the same mistake for thirty years straight?

****

JACKIE

Oh, honey. More than you think. 

****

LOUISA

He's my boyfriend! I'm supposed to know him! And this whole time he's been-- he's been-- it doesn't make sense. I can feel him, Jax. Since 1988. 

****

SAM

Louisa, think about it. All the deaths in this motel since then have been couples.

****

Sam gestures to his laptop screen.

****

INSERT - LAPTOP

****

A list of all the names Sam has compiled of the murder victims in the Midnite Delite since 1988, their method of contact with their significant other at the time included.

****

SAM

Or people on the phone with their significant others. Or people writing a letter to their significant others. You and Patrick were, well-- significant others.

****

JACKIE

This means it hasn't been Patrick doing all these awful things. That's good, right? 

****

LOUISA

He's here. I'm sorry, but he's here. 

****

CAS

Alive, dead, it doesn't matter. People see what they want to see.  Believe what they want to believe. 

(glancing at Dean)

It's easy to fool yourself if you want to be fooled.

****

Dean scoffs loudly.

****

DEAN

What about Mr. Jerk, huh? The only thing he was communicating with in there was the boob tube. 

****

Sam takes a second to think it through.

****

SAM

It wasn't the TV, it was what was on the TV. 

****

DEAN

"He Came In Through Her Back Room Window"? Yeah, cause that's love.

****

SAM

It's a kind of love? I mean... the position he died in... 

****

CAS

(squinting)

Self-love?

****

Silence falls. 

****

LOUISA

(to Dean and Cas)

So, going after couples... that's why he went after you two and no one else?

****

Awkward.

****

DEAN

(harsh)

No. It was a mistake. Even dead guys make them. 

****

LOUISA

Oh. Right. Sure.  

****

DEAN

Can we get back on track? Obviously this ghost isn't the brightest knife in the drawer, but we gotta figure out who he is and why the hell salting and burning him wasn't enough to flame him out.  

****

SAM

There must be something holding him here that isn't his bones. 

(to Louisa)

You have to tell us everything you remember about this guy. 

****

LOUISA

Well, as a being that exists almost solely on the electromagnetic frequency, I haven't been able to do much Googling myself. Me and technology don't seem to get along all too well these days. I can barely make a phone call. Jackie, on the other hand...

****

JACKIE

I've gone through about ten cell phones since the nineties. I've also searched up and down the internet for this guy, but I'm not going to pretend I'm any kind of hacker. I could only get so far.

****

SAM

Well, that's where we come in.

****

INT. MIDNITE DELITE - ROOM 14 - LATER

****

Dean, Sam, and Cas are back in the room, all on laptops. 

****

Sam keeps glancing at Dean, then Cas, then back to his laptop. 

****

Then Dean, then Cas, then back to his laptop.

****

Then Dean, then Cas, then back to his--

****

SAM

Cas.

****

Cas looks up.

****

SAM

Can I talk to Dean for a sec?

****

Dean looks up.

****

CAS

You're kicking me out of my own motel room?

****

DEAN

No, he's--

****

SAM

Just for a sec, Cas, please.

 

Cas rolls his eyes.

****

CAS

Only if I can talk to Dean first. Outside. 

****

Dean is absolutely withered.

****

DEAN

What's a girl to do.

****

Beat. No one bites.

****

DEAN

(to Sam, harsh)

Stay here. You know there are people dying in this motel, right?

****

SAM

We're the only guests left!

****

Dean ignores him and leaves with Cas, SLAMMING the door behind him. 

****

Sam twiddles his thumbs.

****

Outside the door, FURIOUS MUFFLED WHISPERS. 

****

Sam twiddles.

****

Twiddles. 

****

Twiddles. 

****

Dean CHARGES back in, all smiles. 

****

He sits down next to Sam. Puts a comforting arm on his shoulder.

****

DEAN

Hey, buddy. How you doing?

****

SAM

Fine. So. Are we allowed to talk about this yet?

****

DEAN

Talk about what?

****

SAM

Don't do this again. 

****

DEAN

Ah, Sam. Sammy. My little brother. Cas and I have talked, too.

(beat)

And we think you bumped your noodle pretty hard earlier. 

****

SAM

Excuse me?

****

DEAN

And sometimes, when people bump their noodle really hard, they see things.

****

SAM

You've got to be kidding me.

****

DEAN

Things that aren't really there.

****

SAM

This is a joke, right? 

****

Dean touches Sam's forehead.

****

DEAN

Just bonked your coconut is all.

****

SAM

What?

****

DEAN

What?

****

SAM

Dean.

****

Dean slaps Sam's knee.

****

DEAN

Good talk! Now we got a job to do. 

****

INT. MIDNITE DELITE - ROOM 22 - LATE

****

Sam and Jackie stand in the doorway of the room. Louisa stands in the middle of it.

****

SAM

So Patrick killed the murderer in this room?

****

JACKIE

This is the room he stayed in, both times.

****

LOUISA

There was a lot of blood. 

****

JACKIE

You're telling me, sister. I was the one who had to clean it up. It's been years.

****

SAM

Something is keeping him here. It makes just as much sense as anything else it would be in this room. 

****

Sam and Jackie begin searching the room. Louisa halfheartedly checks under tables.

****

LOUISA

So... were we not supposed to notice your brother and Castiel are...?

****

SAM

(diplomatically)

It's pretty new for everyone. 

****

LOUISA

So you didn't know?

****

SAM

Nope. I mean. I'm surprised? Maybe? Like, yes, I'm surprised. But also I'm not. This is confusing. A lot of things are starting to make a lot more sense.  

****

Sam searches through the couch. 

****

LOUISA

I mean... it's obvious, right? Jax?

****

Jackie is crawling around the beds, searching under the mattresses and under the frames.

****

JACKIE

(apologetically)

It's kind of obvious, Sam.

****

SAM

They've kind of always been like that, though. I dunno. Maybe I know them too well. Forest for the trees and all. 

****

LOUISA

On the other hand, not noticing something that's been right in front of your nose all along?

(ruefully)

I can see all the trees from my glass house.

****

SAM

Ha. Yeah.

****

JACKIE

I'll join in on the fun. Everything's distorted when you're looking at it through the bottom of a bottle. 

****

LOUISA

Well, there you go. We're all just a bunch of dummies who can't see what's right in front of us. Winchesters, they're just like us.

****

SAM

We are very dumb. 

****

Dean 

(O.S.)

Speak for yourself.

****

Dean stands in the doorway. 

****

DEAN

We found our guy.

****

INT. MIDNITE DELITE MOTEL - ROOM 14 - NIGHT

****

The group is all crowded into Room 14, Dean and Cas presenting to the class.

****

Cas points to the TV, which is hooked up to Dean's laptop with an HDMI cable. 

****

INSERT - TV  


****

A mugshot of a man.

****

DEAN  


Meet Dwight Valentine.

****

LOUISA  


Oh my god. That's him. 

****

The TV screen flickers.

****

LOUISA  


I know, babe. 

****

SAM  


Valentine. Really?

****

DEAN  


Sometimes a man makes a name for himself. Sometimes a name makes a man... inspires a man... to become a serial killer who preys on couples... Whatever. Shut up.

****

INSERT - TV  


****

Dean clicks through various crime scene photos.

****

CAS  


He was wanted for multiple crimes. Grand theft auto. Larceny. Arson. Murder. Still wanted, actually, since no one knows he's dead other than the people in this room.

****

LOUISA  


And ghosts.

****

DEAN  


His victims came in all different flavors, except for one thing. He always preyed on couples. No one could figure out why. 

****

CAS  


Well, we couldn't either--

****

DEAN  


(to Cas)  


Dude, where's your showmanship? Give them a little mystery. Leave 'em wanting more.  


(to his enraptured audience)  


Spurned lover? Troubles at home? Few eggs shy of a dozen? 

****

CAS  


We don't know.

****

DEAN  


Yeah. Party pooper. 

****

SAM  


Well, thanks for the theatrics, guys, but I think this one kind of solves itself. 

****

Dean and Cas look at Sam, and then at each other.

****

EXT. LONELY HIGHWAY - NIGHT

****

Sam and Jackie trudge along a two-lane country blacktop, the motel lights blinking in the distance.

****

Jackie SWEEPS A FLASHLIGHT into the trees off the highway.

****

Sam holds his phone up. It's on SPEAKER PHONE. 

****

The reception is staticky. 

****

Dean (V.O.)  


Screw this. Screw you. Screw this entire plan. 

****

SAM  


Just keep looking.

****

DEAN (V.O.)  


I am looking. You keep looking. 

****

A muffled sound on Dean's end. Cas saying something. 

****

Louisa LAUGHS.

****

DEAN (V.O.)  


Shut up, Cas.   


(beat)  


I'm just saying. It's convenient, isn't it? You seeing things that aren't there and suddenly needing me and Cas as bait for this all in a pathetic attempt to prove your insane theory.

****

SAM  


Convenient? Trust me. Nothing about your deep seated neuroses are convenient. 

****

DEAN (V.O.)  


Yeah, well, neither is being stuck here acting as fake bait while you and Jackie search for a car she barely remembers hiding thirty years ago. 

****

JACKIE  


Thanks for the vote of confidence, hon. 

****

DEAN (V.O.)  


No offense. 

****

JACKIE  


His room and his car. Those are the two things he owned. Something has gotta be in one of them, and as far as I can tell, it's not his room. 

****

CAS (V.O.)  


We're looking. Well, Louisa and I are. Dean's pacing.

****

DEAN (V.O.)  


He who has the phone has control. 

****

Someone blows a raspberry. Louisa. 

****

Jackie's flashlight GLINTS off something metal hidden in the trees.

****

Jackie pats Sam frantically on the arm. 

****

JACKIE  


Hey, over there. Yes, this feels right. 

****

SAM  


(into the phone)  


We got something. 

****

Jackie dashes into the   


****

TREE LINE  


****

and shoves aside the brush, only to find--

****

A RUSTY BICYCLE

****

JACKIE  


On the other hand, I was probably a teensy bit inebriated at the time so my memory might be a bit foggy.

****

SAM  


(into phone)  


False alarm.

****

Static.

****

SAM  


Dean?

****

More static.

****

SAM  


Dean? Dean?!

****

ACT FOUR

****

EXT. LONELY HIGHWAY - NIGHT

****

The line continues to fuzz.

****

SAM  


Jackie, we gotta find that car now.

****

Jackie panics and walks faster. She starts mumble-singing "Strangers" by The Kinks under her breath at double speed to match her walking.

****

The line crackles back to life, a cacophony of sound from the speaker. 

****

DEAN (V.O.)  


Someone's home for dinner.

****

SAM  


(to Jackie)  


What are you doing??

****

Jackie is still walking, still flashing her light through the forest.

****

JACKIE  


_Where are you going, I don't mind._ When I was drinking, y'know, heavily, I tended to wander. _I've killed my world and I've killed my time._ And I used songs-- drunken renditions of them, anyway-- to map out where I would hide things when I was drunk. Where I would hide my alcohol. _So where do I go, what do I see? I see many people coming after me._ After I got rid of Valentine, I may have had a bit of a relapse, which may have culminated in me hiding some long lost booze in his long lost car. _So where are you going to, I don't mind. If I live too long I'm afraid I'll die._

****

The connection on the call continues to crackle. 

****

Loud THUMPS as furniture gets thrown around. 

****

DEAN (V.O.)  


Cas, you okay?

****

CAS (V.O.)  


Yes, I'm--

****

CRASH.

****

DEAN (V.O.)  


CAS!

****

Louisa (V.O.)  


Hey, you dick! It's me you want, right? What, couldn't kill me right the first time? Couldn't kill Patrick right, that's for sure, cause he kicked your mortal ass straight outta your body, you washed up wannabe serial killer.

****

Jackie continues to sing, searching, searching, searching.

****

JACKIE  


_Strangers on this road we are on. We are not two, we are one._

****

DEAN (V.O.)  


Is that The Kinks?!

****

SAM  


(following Jackie intently)  


Shut up.

****

LOUISA (V.O.)  


Did you wanna be a Bundy? A Dahmer? A Ridgway? That's cute. No one knows who you are. No one remembers you. We had to search far and wide to even learn your name, and I've already forgotten it. Virgil? Vick? V... V-something, right, Dean?

****

DEAN (V.O.)  


Close, but I think it was actually "Vasshole".

****

LOUISA (V.O.)  


(snapping her fingers)  


That's the one.

****

An ANGRY HOWL from Valentine.

****

Jackie speeds up her singing.

****

JACKIE  


_We'll take what we want and give the rest away._

****

Jackie slows.

****

JACKIE  


_Strangers on this road we are on. We are not two, we are one._

****

Jackie stops.

****

She searches the woods with her flashlight, and the beam GLINTS off something metallic. She sprints into the 

****

FOREST

****

and Sam follows. Under the cover of darkness and tree branches lies 

****

VALENTINE'S POS CAR, a shitty '70s model. 

****

SAM  


Dean, we found the car.

****

DEAN (V.O.)  


(in the midst of getting thrown around the room)  


Sam, that is such good news. Now HURRY UP. It looks like freakin' motelnado in here.

****

CAS (V.O.)  


Your attention to this issue is much appreciated, Sam and Jackie--

****

CRASH.

****

DEAN (V.O.)  


Okay, now you're really pissing me off, buddy.

****

Sam and Jackie dive  


****

INTO THE CAR  


****

and start searching. 

****

Under the seats-- no.

****

On and around the dash-- no.

****

Behind the visors-- no.

****

Under the mats-- no.

****

Inside the seats-- no. 

****

From the phone, another CRASH

****

a YELL

****

a... rattle?

****

DEAN (V.O.)  


Ow. So that's where you hid them, you freak. Sam, they were in the ceiling tile! Which I only know because I just got thrown into it. We're looking at a, ugh, bag of nails. Cas, light it up.  

****

The FLICK of a LIGHTER. The hiss of FLAME.

****

CAS (V.O.)  


Dean...

****

Valentine is still kicking. And screaming. And throwing things.

****

LOUISA (V.O.)  


Patrick? 

****

DEAN (V.O.)  


Crap. Sam, we got smoke but no fire. There must be another bag of nails on your end. 

****

SAM  


(to Jackie)  


Keep looking!

****

LOUISA (V.O.)  


Patrick, please.

****

Cas GROANS. Dean GROANS. Valentine is done playing around.

****

When Louisa shouts, the line fuzzes out almost entirely. 

****

LOUISA (V.O.)  


He's killing them, Sam!

****

Sam SLAMS the steering wheel.

****

SAM  


Where the hell is it? It has to be here!

****

LOUISA (V.O.)  


Patrick, babe, please. Life or death or super permanent death situation here. Could really use a hand.

****

Jackie REALIZES something.

****

JACKIE  


When I used to drink in here, I would always hide the bottle...

****

She moves her hand to the dashboard stereo and tucks her fingers in the side. She puts a foot up on the dash and YANKS the dummy face of the stereo off. In the EMPTY COMPARTMENT behind it, behind an old wine bottle...

****

Over the line, Dean and Cas are gasping for air.

****

SAM  


Guys, hold on--

****

Jackie searches the compartment. She tosses the wine bottle out the window and pulls out a RATTY CLOTH BAG. She opens it and recoils at the NAILS inside.

****

Sam CLICKS his LIGHTER.

****

SAM  


Here, hold it out--

****

Jackie holds it out daintily, and Sam lights it up--

****

Or, tries to. 

****

The bag catches fire, barely. Slowly. 

****

Static suffuses the line again, the worst it's been so far. It BUILDS.

****

Something is happening. Something big.

****

SAM  


Dean! Cas!

****

LOUISA (V.O.)  


(through the static)  


... Patrick?

****

The line goes dead.

****

ACT FIVE

****

INT. MIDNITE DELITE - ROOM 22 - NIGHT

****

Sam and Jackie BURST into the motel room. No sign of Valentine, but it lies in shambles.

****

Amidst the chaos are Dean and Cas, looking much worse for wear and leaning into each other for support.

****

Across the room, Louisa stands, shellshocked, with a barely-there man with a gaunt but serene face. His connection to this plane obviously isn't strong, as he occasionally flickers out of existence.

****

SAM  


Valentine's gone?

****

LOUISA  


He's gone. Thanks to... Sam, Jax. I'd like you to meet Patrick.

****

Jackie puts a hand to her mouth.

****

PATRICK  


Hello, Jackie. It's so nice to finally meet you in person. Well. Almost.

****

JACKIE  


I've heard so much about you... you're... not...

****

PATRICK  


(laughing ruefully)  


Not what you pictured? Yeah, I like to think I'm less of a dick nowadays. Being dead for thirty years will do that to you. Kind of puts things in perspective. Also, not being 19 years old helps.  


(beat)  


Well I am 19, I suppose. But I'm sure everyone in this room understands what I mean.

****

Jackie RUSHES FORWARD and attempts to envelop Patrick in a hug. She sails right through him.

****

LOUISA  


He's too dead to touch. Even for me.

****

Louisa waves her hand through Patrick's torso.

****

JACKIE  


What do you mean?

****

Sam looks at Dean and Cas leaning on each other. He zeroes in on how tightly Cas' sleeve is clenched in Dean's hand. 

****

SAM  


(to Patrick)  


You were keeping her standing. 

****

Louisa rounds on Patrick.

****

LOUISA  


What?

****

SAM  


That's why you could still feel his presence, but not see him. He was here, but all his energy was directed towards...

****

PATRICK  


Keeping you going. Keeping you from going vengeful. Because I did, Lou. Or almost did. I took all that anger, at myself, at him, at our horrible luck for being in the wrong place at the worst possible time, and when I killed him, he paid for it, ten times over. But I was scared, too, of what I had done. You were always so much better at keeping it together than me, and I could feel myself slipping away, turning vengeful. But you kept me here.  


(beat)  


Besides, I couldn't leave you with Valentine roaming the place as a spirit. That was something I never once thought about, you know, during those years I spent planning to kill him. How it would affect you.

****

CAS  


(to Louisa)  


That's why, in all these years, you were never targeted by Valentine. Because Patrick was protecting you. 

****

Louisa has started to cry.

****

LOUISA  


You've been gone for so long. You couldn't tell me? Couldn't leave a ghostly message in blood on the wall?

****

PATRICK  


I could barely flicker the lights most of the time. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Louisa. It was my idea to run away in the first place. This is all my fault. All of it. If I could get one thing right, it was that I could at least protect you in death.  


(glancing at Jackie)  


Especially now that you've found new life in it.

****

DEAN  


If you could barely tickle a light bulb, how are you here now? 

****

PATRICK  


Because Louisa needed help.   


(to Louisa)  


But not anymore.

****

Patrick flickers out of existence for a moment. 

****

LOUISA  


You can't. You just got here.

****

PATRICK  


I've been here all along. Babe, I'm so proud of you.   


(to Jackie)  


Thank you for being a friend to Louisa all these years. 

****

JACKIE  


(wiping tears)  


Thank you for choosing the Midnite Delite Motel. And thank you for not spending the last couple decades murdering my guests. 

****

LOUISA  


Are you all nuts? He's not going anywhere. This is ridiculous.  


(to Sam and Dean)  


You're the Winchesters. From the stories. You've both defied death a hundred times over. Help me. 

****

SAM  


Louisa, when a spirit sticks around to fulfill a purpose, and then they fulfill that purpose...

****

DEAN  


Then it's time to go. 

****

LOUISA  


(sarcastically)  


What, to Heaven?

****

Dean, Sam, and Cas share a significant look.

****

SAM  


Why not? 

****

Louisa crosses her arms.

****

LOUISA  


(to Patrick)  


If you go, I go. 

****

JACKIE  


Louisa...

****

Patrick holds his hand up to Louisa's cheek like he's going to stroke it. It almost looks real.

****

Louisa closes her eyes and pretends to nuzzle into his phantom touch.

****

PATRICK  


You have a life, Louisa. Finally. It may not be exactly what we expected, but it's what we dreamed about. It's what you dreamed about. What kind of ghost-boyfriend would I be if I let you give that up?  

****

LOUISA  


(without heat)  


Screw you.

****

Patrick smiles, misty-eyed.

****

LOUISA  


Thank you. 

****

PATRICK  


Can I have one last request? 

****

LOUISA  


Anything. 

****

PATRICK  


Would it be too much to ask for you to get new bedspreads? These ones are just... so ugly. So ugly, Lou.

****

Louisa laughs through her tears. She closes her eyes, and when she opens them again, Patrick is gone.  

****

She sinks onto the bed and just cries. 

****

Dean hooks his index finger briefly around Cas'. 

****

Jackie sits beside Louisa and puts an arm around her.

****

EXT. MIDNITE DELITE - FRONT OFFICE - MORNING

****

Sam and Jackie stand in front of the Midnite Delite front office.

****

The two of them watch as Dean and Cas, further back in the parking lot, say their goodbyes in front of Cas' truck. Whatever Cas is saying, Dean isn't happy. 

****

Sam turns back to Jackie.

****

SAM  


Hopefully this goes without saying, but if you ever need anything, give us a call. If anything ever... y'know... happens. And you'd like someone else to take care of it. 

****

LOUISA (O.S.)  


My transparent ears are burning. 

****

Louisa hangs out a nearby window. Her eyes are puffy, but she has a renewed sense of purpose about her.

****

LOUISA  


My invisible boyfriend spends the last thirty years protecting me with his literal life force from a serial killer and you're already planning my ghost funeral as well? Geez Louise...a.

****

SAM  


(stuttering)  


It's just a precaution-- 

****

Louisa waves him off. 

****

LOUISA  


I'm kidding. I would kill Jax if she didn't have a contingency plan if I go all "blerghhhhh gonna eat your face!" 

****

A car door SLAMS. Sam glances around. 

****

Cas' truck exits the parking lot, and Dean is on his way to them. When he realizes everyone is looking at him, he's all smiles. 

****

DEAN  


What's up, party people?  


(slapping Sam's shoulder)  


We heading out?

****

LOUISA  


That offer goes the same for you two, by the way. You ever need some one and a half star accommodations on the cheap, you know where to find us.

****

DEAN  


Now that's customer service.

****

LOUISA  


24/7.

****

DEAN  


Remind me to delete that Yelp review. 

****

LOUISA  


We might even spruce the place up a bit. Add another half a star. I was actually thinking of changing out the bedspreads. Can't for the death of me imagine why. 

****

SAM  


Oh, you should call the cops now, too. Or, preferably, call them after we've left. 

****

LOUISA  


We'll give you a five minute head start. How's that sound?

****

SAM  


(amused)  


Perfect.

****

DEAN  


You take care of yourself, Louisa, okay? Both of you, take care of each other.

****

Sam and Dean turn away and begin walking towards the Impala.

****

SAM  


I figured with everything that happened last night, Cas would stick around for a bit. 

****

DEAN  


Cas has better things to do than me.  


(horrified beat)  


Nope.

****

They arrive at the Impala.

****

SAM  


I'm happy for you. 

****

They get into the

****

IMPALA

****

and Dean slams his door a little harder than necessary.

****

SAM  


I'm happy for the both of you. Really.

****

DEAN  


Sam.

****

SAM  


Dean, if it wasn't ridiculous already, which it was, it's ridiculous now. I know what I saw.

****

DEAN  


It's not that.

****

SAM  


Is it because Cas is a guy? I don't care about that.

****

DEAN  


It's not that, either. 

****

SAM  


Well, what is it, then? 

****

Dean takes his time answering. 

****

DEAN  


I mean, c'mon, man. You know the drill. We both know how this goes, has gone, for our entire lives. 

****

SAM  


How what's gone? 

****

DEAN  


When was the last time someone we-- I-- we-- cared about, made it through their next five birthdays? Or hell, their next? You saw what happened in there. Guy spends thirty years doing everything for someone he cares about, and for what? Louisa's still spending the rest of her time on this spinning rock in space alone.

****

SAM  


That's the most cynical possible takeaway from this case, dude. You know that. 

****

DEAN  


This can only end one way, Sam, so excuse me if I don't want to hire a skywriter. We spend our whole lives waiting for the next shoe to drop. Why should this be any different?

****

SAM  


Cas has stuck around for a long time, Dean. He's not going anywhere.

****

DEAN  


Yeah, well, tell that to his burnt rubber you're currently smelling. 

****

SAM  


He always comes back.

****

DEAN  


Uh huh. Hey. Speaking of. This thing with me and Cas? It changes nothing.

****

SAM  


What do you mean?

****

DEAN  


I mean nothing changes. We hunt, we drink, we stop whatever evil son of a bitch rears its ugly head. Sometimes Cas'll help us, sometimes he won't show up for weeks at a time. Nothing. Changes. You got it?

****

Sam opens his mouth.

****

DEAN  


Ah! Nothing.

****

Sam watches Dean glance at his phone and then toss it into the back seat.

****

SAM  


Nothing changes. Got it.

****

They peel out of the parking lot.

****

END OF EPISODE


End file.
